Lateral extension devices for socket wrenches

ABSTRACT

A RELATIVELY FLAT, HORIZONTALLY-ELONGATED HOUSING HAVING OPPOSITELY AND AXIALLY ALIGNED, VERTICALLY POSITIONED, ROTATABLE WRENCH SOCKETS ADJACENT ITS ONE EXTREMITY AND OPPOSITELY AND AXIALLY ALIGNED, VERTICALLY POSITIONED, ROTATABLE NUT SOCKETS ADJACENT ITS OTHER EXTREMITY, SAID HOUSING ENCLOSING MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ALIGNED NUT SOCKETS IN CONSEQUENCE OF ROTATION OF SAID WRENCH SOCKETS.

LATERAL EXTENSION DEVICES FOR SOCKET WRENCHES Filed Feb. 26, 1969 E. T.ABLE Feb. 23, 1971 2. Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fbnwno 7.' A 545 E. T.ABLE 3,564,953

LATERAL EXTENSION DEVICES FOR SOCKET WRENCHES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledFeb. 26, 1969 INVENTOR. fan flea 7f flan:

United States Patent U.S. Cl. 8157.3 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA relatively fiat, horizontally-elongated housing having oppositely andaxially aligned, vertically positioned, rotatable wrench socketsadjacent its one extremity and oppositely and axially aligned,vertically positioned, rotatable nut sockets adjacent its otherextremity, said housing enclosing means for rotating said aligned nutsockets in consequence of rotation of said wrench sockets.

This invention relates to a socket wrench extension of the typeillustrated and described in Reissue Pat. No. 23,661 which issued May26, 1953.

The principal object of this invention is to improve the efficiency ofthe above type of extension; to reduce the number of parts required andthe cost thereof; and to render the extension adaptable to be driven bycontinuous power means, such as by an electric and pneumatic motorwrench, in the place of the turning bar or actuating lever required inthe said reissue patent.

Socket wrench extension devices of the above types are designed to reachnuts and bolts that are positioned in difficult positions where there isnot sufiicient space available for the placement of conventionalpower-driven socket wrenches. For instance, the main bearing nuts onlocomotive Diesel engines are accessible only through relatively smalldoors in the side of the crankcase and there is not sufficient spacebelow the nuts to position conventional power socket wrenches norsufiicient door width to actuate manual lever-type wrenches.

Another object of this invention is to provide a socket wrench extensiondevice which can be readily inserted through a crankcase door intoengagement with the bearing nuts and which can be easily actuatedexteriorally of the crankcase either by hand or by conventional electricor pneumatic wrench motors.

A further object of the invention is to provide a highly efficientwrench extension which will greatly multiply the torque effort appliedthereto so that relatively heavy torque requirements can be met with aminimum of applied effort.

A still further object is to simplify a socket wrench extension deviceby providing a unidirectional torque output so that a nut will berotated in a tightening direction when one face of the extension isuppermost and in a loosening direction when the other face of theextension is uppermost, regardless of direction of rotation of theinput, thus eliminating the necessity for complicated double ratchetingdevices.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference ismade to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Likenumerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughoutthe description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the improved lateral extension device forsocket wrenches;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device as it would appear with its upperhousing removed to disclose the interior mechanism; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section therethrough taken on the line 4-4,FIG. 1;

The improved wrench extension device is elongated to space the axis ofthe work-engaging portion laterally from, and parallel to, the axis ofthe input portion and is provided with a relatively flat cross sectionto enable it to be readily inserted through limited vertical spaces,such as the side openings of conventional Diesel crankcases. Theoperating mechanism is enclosed between a hollow upper housing 10 and ahollow, lower housing 11. The upper and lower housings are cup-shapedand similar but of opposite hand. The hollow faces of the housings arealigned and secured together by means of dowel pins 12 and clamp bolts13 to form a complete elongated relatively fiat incasement or housingassembly.

An input shaft 14, carrying a toothed pinion 15 is journalled in alignedroller bearings 16 mounted in bearing bosses 17, projecting from theupper and lower housings 10 and 11 adjacent one extremity thereof, and ahollow rotatable bushing, which will be herein designated as the outputshaft 18, is journalled, parallel to the shaft 14, in aligned ballbearings 19 in the upper and lower housings 10 and 11 adjacent the otherextremity thereof. Each extremity of the input shaft 14 is provided witha non circular input wrench socket 20 and each extremity of the outputshaft is provided with a non-circular output nut socket 21.

A cam shaft 22 is journalled parallel to and intermediate the shafts 14and 18 in aligned roller bearings 23 mounted in anchor bosses 24 whichproject outwardly from the upper and lower housings 10 and 11. A spurgear 25 is mounted, or formed, on the camshaft 22 so as to mesh with,and be driven by, the pinion 15 of the input shaft 14. The shaft 22 isalso provided with a single-throw eccentric cam 26 affixed to androtated by the gear 25.

The peripheral contour of the cam 26 is followed by a follower roller 27rotatably mounted on the extremity of a radius arm 28 which is pivotallymounted on the hollow output shaft 18 and is resiliently urged towardthe cam 26 by means of a tension spring 29 which is tensioned between aspring pin 40 on the radius and a second spring pin 41 on the upperhousing 10.

A cylindrical ratchet sleeve 30, provided with peripheral ratchet teeth31, is formed or splined as indicated at 47, on the output shaft 18 anda pair of annular, verticallyspaced-apart pivot plates 32 are welded orotherwise formed on the pivoted extremity of the radius arm 28. Thepivot plates 32 rotatably engage the output shaft 18 above and below theratchet sleeve 30, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, to provide the pivotalmounting for the radius arm 28.

Rotation is imparted to the output shaft 18 from the radius arm by meansof a drive pawl 33 which projects from a drive-pawl-pivot shaft 34extending rotatably through the pivot plates 32. The drive pawl 33 isprovided with a toothed extremity which is urged by means of acompression spring 36 into tangential contact with the ratchet teeth 31to intermittently rotate the ratchet sleeve and its contained outputshaft in a common direction in consequence of pivotal movement oroscillation of the radius arm 28 about the axis of the output shaft.Return rotation is prevented by a back lash pawl 37, similar to thedrive pawl 33, which is urged against the teeth of the ratchet sleeve 30by means of a second pawl spring 38. The back lash pawl projects from apawl release post 39 which extends rotatably upward through the upperhousing 10 and terminates in a radial finger pin 42 'by means of whichthe back lash pawl 37 may be swung out of contact with the ratchet teethto relieve the impressed torque on the output shaft to allow removalfrom the work.

A loop-shaped handle 43 is preferably secured, by means of one of theclamp bolts 13 to the assembled housings and 11 for convenience incarrying and positioning the device. A direction-indicating plate 44 isattached adjacent the output shaft 18 on both the upper and lowerhousings to indicate the direction in which the output shaft will rotatewhen the input shaft is powerrotated in either direction.

The improved socket wrench extension device is usually subjected toheavy and rough usage and, since the housing assembly, 10 and 11 ispreferably formed of aluminum or other light weight metal, theprojecting anchor bosses 24 are covered by steel wear plates 45, securedthereto by means of suitable cap screws 46. The wear plates projectoppositely outward from the side planes of the housing assembly tosupport and protect the latter from external damaging contacts.

From the above it will be apparent the device will be useful in anyinstance where it is desired to apply multiplied torque to tighten orloosen a bolt or nut positioned in difficult to reach position. As anillustration of one such usage, let us assume that it is desired toremove the main bearing nuts from a Diesel engine. To accomplish this aconventional wrench socket is inserted in the extremity of the outputshaft which the indicating plate 44 indicates counterclockwisedirection. The housing assembly is inserted in the crank case side doorand the wrench socket is pried upwardly about the bearing nut, in somecases the wear plates 45 and the crankcase door-sill provides a fulcrum.A power wrench is then applied to either extremity of the input shaft tounscrew the desired nuts. To replace and tighten the nuts, the housingassembly is simply inverted to reverse the output rotation and the nutsocket is positioned in the other extremity of the output shaft andpositioned over the nut. It will be noted that the leverage relationbetween the relatively small pinion and the relative large gear 25 andthe leverage obtained by the relatively long radius arm 28 greatlyincrease the application of torque to the output shaft.

While a specific form of the invention has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be variedwithin the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. A lateral extension device for socket wrenches comprising:

(a) an elongated, hollow housing assembly;

(b) an output shaft, provided with a nut-receiving socket, journalled insaid housing assembly adpacent one extremity thereof;

(c) a camshaft provided with an eccentric cam journalled in said housingassembly in axially-parallel relation to said output shaft;

(d) a radial arm pivotally mounted on said output shaft at its oneextremity and arranged to follow the contour of said cam at its otherextremity;

(e) ratchet means positioned between said one extremity and said outputshaft acting to convert the oscillatory movements of said radial arminto intermittent unidirectional rotary movements of said output shaft;and

(f) means for rotating said camshaft.

2. A lateral extension device as described in claim 1 in which the meansfor rotating said camshaft comprises:

(a) a toothed gear mounted on said camshaft and affixed to said cam;

(b) an input shaft, provided with a wrench-receiving socket, journalledin said housing assembly adjacent the other extremity thereof andparallel to said camshaft; and

(c) a toothed pinion afiixed to said input shaft in mesh with saidtoothed gear.

3. A lateral extension device as described in claim 1 in which theoutput shaft has a nut-receiving socket in each of its extremities sothat said assembly can be inverted to rotate a nut in either directionfrom the unidirectional r0- tation of said output shaft.

4. A lateral extension device as described in claim 2 in which the inputshaft has a wrench-receiving socket in each of its extremities so that aconventional wrench may be inserted therein from either side of saidassembly.

5. A lateral extension device as described in claim 3 in which the inputshaft has a wrench-receiving socket in each of its extremities so that aconventional wrench may be inserted therein from either side of saidassembly.

6. A lateral extension device as described in claim 3 in which theratchet means comprises:

(a) an annular externally toothed ratchet ring concentricallysurrounding and affixed to said output shaft;

(b) a pawl shaft rotatably mounted in said radial arm adjacent theperiphery of said ring;

(c) a drive pawl projecting from said pawl shaft;

(d) a pawl spring reacting between said radial arm and said drive pawland acting to urge latter tangentially against the teeth of said ratchetring to intermittently and unidirectionally rotate said output shaft ina consequence of the oscillatory movements of said radial arm.

7. A lateral extension device as described in claim 6 in which thepivotal mounting of said radial arm comprises:

(a) a pair of pivot plates secured to and projecting from the pivotedextremity of said radial arm in vertically-spaced relation and rotatablyengaging said output shaft above and below said ratchet ring, said drivepawl being positioned between said spaced pivot plates.

8. A lateral extension device as described in claim 7 having:

(a) a spring-loaded back lash pawl mounted in said assembly inratcheting engagement with said ratchet ring and preventing reverserotation of said output shaft; and

(b) means operable from the exterior of said assembly for releasing saidback lash panel from said ratchet ring.

9. A lateral extension device as described in claim 8 in which the inputshaft has a wrench-receiving socket in each of its extremitiesaccessible from the exterior of said assembly so that a conventionalwrench may be inserted into either side of said assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,270,595 9/1966 Hall et a18l57.39 3,270,596 9/1966 Hall et al 8l57.39 2,600,177 6/ 1952 Able eta1. 8157.3

JAMES L. JONES, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

